The present invention relates to a solenoid-actuated control cable, and more particularly to a solenoid-actuated control cable which enables to operate two or more mechanisms independently by means of one actuator.
Hitherto, there are known devices each of which utilizes a control cable or control cables as a means for providing output, and examples of such device are openers for automotive disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 135457/1985 and Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 129075/1985 (hereinafter referred to as Conventional Device I). Conventional Device I is equipped with an electric motor for winding to actuate two inner cables, wherein a rotational direction of the motor provides unlocking operation of a covering lid for fueling connection (hereinafter referred to as a fuel lid), while another direction of the motor provides unlocking operation of a trunk lid or a hatchback door.
Another example of the conventional unlocking device (hereafter reffered to as Conventional Device II) is shown in FIG. 19. Conventional Device II is equipped with two solenoid-actuators 70 and 71 of which the moving cores are connected with inner cables for operation, so that one solenoid-actuator 70 can be used for unlocking operation of a fuel lid 72 and the other solenoid-actuator 71 can be used for unlocking operation of a trunk lid 73 or a hatchback door.
However, Conventional Device I has a drawback that the electric motor is necessarily mounted with a speed reducer and a winding drum and requires large installation space, resulting in limited freedom in arrangement of the device.
Conventional Device II also requires large installation space and the device is heavy because of using two solenoids. For example, the device using two solenoids weighs about 600 kg excluding cables, because the weight of each solenoid is about 300 kg.
An object of the present invention is to provide a soleniod-actuated control cable which requires small installation space and is light in weight.